Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 112 Part 4.djvu/774

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112 STAT. 2681-745 PUBLIC LAW 105-277~OCT. 21, 1998 "(c)(1) Whenever the Secretary determines under section 1118(c) of this title that a presumption of service connection for an undiagnosed illness (or combination of undiagnosed illnesses) previously established under this section is no longer warranted— "(A) a veteran who was awarded compensation under this section for such illness (or combination of illnesses) on the basis of the presumption shall continue to be entitled to receive compensation under this section on that basis; and "(B) a survivor of a veteran who was awarded dependency and indemnity compensation for the death of a veteran resulting from the disease on the basis of the presumption before that date shall continue to be entitled to receive dependency and indemnity compensation on that basis. Termination "(2) This subsection shall cease to be effective 10 years sifter date. the first day of the fiscal year in which the National Academy of Sciences submits to the Secretary the first report under section 1603 of the Persian Gulf War Veterans Act of 1998.". 38 USC 1117 SEC. 1603. AGREEMENT WITH NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. (a) PURPOSE. —The purpose of this section is to provide for the National Academy of Sciences, an independent nonprofit scientific organization with appropriate expertise, to review and evaluate the available scientific evidence regarding associations between illnesses and exposure to toxic agents, environmental or wartime hazards, or preventive medicines or vaccines associated with Gulf War service. (b) AGREEMENT. — The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall seek to enter into an agreement with the National Academy of Sciences for the Academy to perform the activities covered by this section. The Secretary shall seek to enter into the agreement not later than two months after the date of enactment of this Act. (c) IDENTIFICATION OF AGENTS AND ILLNESSES.— <1) Under the agreement under subsection (b), the National Academy of Sciences shall— (A) identify the biological, chemical, or other toxic agents, environmental or wartime hazards, or preventive medicines or vaccines to which members of the Armed Forces who served in the Southwest Asia theater of operations during the Persian Gulf War may have been exposed by reason of such service; and (B) identify the illnesses (including diagnosed illnesses and undiagnosed illnesses) that are manifest in such members. (2) In identifying illnesses under paragraph (1)(B), the Academy shall review and summarize the relevant scientific evidence regaraing illnesses among the members described in paragraph (1)(A) and among other appropriate populations of individuals, including mortality, S3rmptoms, and adverse reproductive health outcomes among such members and individuals. (d) INITIAL CONSIDERATION OF SPECIFIC AGENTS. —(1) In identifying under subsection (c) the agents, hazards, or preventive medicines or vaccines to which members of the Armed Forces may have been exposed for purposes of the first report under subsection (i), the National Academy of Sciences shall consider, within the first six months after the date of enactment of this Act, the following: (A) llie followii:^ organophosphorous pesticides: (i) ChloiTjyrifos.